


blink twice, think twice

by aarobron



Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Fights, Sort of AU, sort of canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-01
Updated: 2016-12-01
Packaged: 2018-09-03 15:02:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,210
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8718406
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aarobron/pseuds/aarobron
Summary: this is what i wanted to see yesterday, so i wrote it instead!enjoy xo





	

**Author's Note:**

> title from love songs drug songs by x ambassadors  
> xo

“Hey,” Robert says timidly, placing a hand on Aaron’s shoulder. The latter scoffs and shakes it off, walking onetwothree not enough steps away from his boyfriend. He feels tense, like his bones are buzzing and his skin is too tight. 

“Robert.” He says shortly, turning round with his posture like fire. He doesn’t want to do this, doesn’t want to listen to all the bullshit Robert spewed and he doesn't want to realise his family was actually right. “Don’t you dare lie to me again.”

The other man straightens his spine, lifts his chin, and Aaron rolls his eyes before he even speaks. “Why do you believe her? I didn’t-“

“ _Robert_.” Aaron spits. He didn’t have the time for this, really, and if Robert is just going to stand there and lie then he iss leaving. It was that simple. They were supposed to be through this, they were supposed to be _honest_ and Aaron thought that if you couldn’t be honest to the man you were supposed to marry, well, that wasn’t much of a relationship at all.

Robert’s shoulders drop and his head hangs, suddenly. _Good_ , a voice in Aaron’s head hisses. _Feel ashamed_. “Okay,” Robert sighs, carefully moving to the sofa like he doesn’t want to scare Aaron. He drops himself down, resting his elbows on his knees. “Okay, what if she was telling the truth? But I didn’t kiss her. She kissed me, and I pushed her away.”

“Not quick enough, apparently!” Aaron cries, and he knows he sounds anguished because he _is_. “Not quick enough because she thinks that she has a chance, Robert! She thinks you have feelings for her. Do you? Because right now, I’m not surprised where she’s coming from.” He sucks in a deep breath, rubbing at the tears falling from his eyes and he feels raw. He feels torn and open and like he’s bleeding all over the floor, but Robert just gapes like he’s speechless.

“It wasn’t like that!” Robert says and his voice sounds strained, but Aaron just doesn’t care anymore. “I just-“

“Stop!” He yells, putting a hand in front of him. “Stop lying to me, Robert! It’s all you seem to do! So just _shut up and listen_!” His voice sounds ugly from crying and he probably looks it too, but it's only because he feels it. He feels this ugly jealousy and ugly fear, and it only serves to make him feel worse. “You had the chance to tell me! You could have, yesterday, and don’t try and make excuses! I wouldn’t have been jealous, I wouldn’t have been angry, I would have understood if you’d have just _told me_!” A sweep of his hand accidentally knocks a glass off the table and it flies to the floor in slow motion, shattering into a thousand pieces and making a good representation of Aaron’s trust right now. It feels good, the destruction, and he forces himself to not start throwing things. He’s not an angry teenager anymore, and he has to remind himself. 

Robert flinches at the sound, and Aaron looks at him finally, properly, at his swollen face and red skin. Tears are steadily streaming down his face like a river but he hasn’t made a noise until he quietly whispers, “I’m sorry.” And Aaron deflates like balloon vs. pin until he’s slumped into one of the chairs at the table. “I’m sorry, Aaron. I never meant to hurt you, but it’s all I seem to do.” He usually hates self pity, he does, but the obvious _sadness_ in Robert’s voice makes his heart clench, until he’s clumsily making his way towards the sofa and dropping to his knees.

“I meant it when I said I wanted to rely on you,” He says gently, fumbling one of his hands onto Robert’s knees. “Sometimes it feels like you just try to ruin us on purpose.” Robert slowly lifts his head to look at him then, and the burning disappointment in his eyes takes Aaron’s breath away. 

“Sometimes,” The older man starts, licking his lips before continuing. “Sometimes it’s like I’m just scared of being happy. Because when I’m happy, something goes wrong and I need to be in control of my life. So I mess it up before anyone else can. And we were doing so well.”

Aaron interjects with, “We _are_ doing so well, Rob,” tightening his grip on Robert’s knee. 

“I’m not going to pretend Rebecca never meant anything to me,” He says steadily, like he’s finally finding his voice again. “I won’t apologise for that. But I will apologise for what I did, and I’m sorry I put that look on your face.”

It’s so honest that Aaron’s blind rage is replaced with nothing but blind love, until he’s surging upwards and crashing their lips together in a dizzying kiss. “I won’t apologise for shouting at you,” he whispers against Robert’s lips, but the older man knows, knows he deserved it for putting Aaron through that hell again and it’s in his eyes, the recognition that he managed to fuck up once again and almost ruined the best thing that’s ever happen to him.

“I love you,” Robert murmurs, fingernails creating crescent marks on the back of Aaron’s neck in a desperate attempt to keep him in place. “ _I love you_.” His gaze flicks around Aaron’s face, seemingly looking for something and everything but the younger man just kisses him again, softer this time, more of an answer. He can’t say the words, not when he’s this angry but he means it and he always will and he needs Robert to know. 

They stay like that for a moment, two, just staring into each other’s eyes with hands gripped around anywhere they can reach and they both know this isn’t the worst fight they will have but it’s the first with them as a couple, and it’s left a scar on their already tense relationship. The spell is broken, however, when Chas walks in, open the door as loudly as she can just in case. “The shouting stopped,” she quips. “Thought I’d check you haven’t killed each other yet.” 

“No, um,” Aaron says, stumbling over his words. He didn’t want the entire pub to hear that, he didn’t need them to and now he’s going to be the running joke in the village for weeks. “We’re okay. We’re sorted. Thanks.” And with that he ignores her once again, turning his attention back to Robert, but Robert’s just looking at Chas like he’s confused, waiting for her to leave.

“Do you still want to marry me?” He asks meekly when she does, and his cheeks turn a delicate shade of pink and Aaron thinks he looks _perfect_. He loves seeing his fiancé like this, soft and open and all his, he loves knowing that it’s all for him. 

He sighs, standing up and holding one hand out for Robert to take. “Of course I do, idiot,” Robert stands with him and they press against each other, swaying gently. “It’s going to take a hell of a lot more for that family to break us.” They kiss again, and it tastes like fear, tongues brushing hesitantly and Aaron doesn’t hold himself back, lets himself love.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr @ aarobron x


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